DIOCESE OF DAVENPORT
These pages may be reproduced by parish and Diocesan staff for their use
Resource promulgated at the Pastoral Center of the Diocese of Davenport–effective September 14, 2009 Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Most Reverend Martin Amos Bishop of Davenport TABLE OF CONTENTS
§IV-246 INTRODUCTION 1
§IV-246.1 IOWA WINES APPROVED FOR LITURGICAL USE 3
0 §IV-246 Resource: Wines for Eucharist
§IV-246 RESOURCE: WINES FOR EUCHARIST
Introduction
The question of whether or not it is appropriate to use wine that is not specifically labeled for sacramental use for the Eucharist is often raised, especially as parishes seek to support local agriculture by purchasing Iowa wines for liturgical use as a way to reflect Catholic Social Teaching (e.g., subsidiarity, care for the environment, economic justice).
The requirements for validity and liceity in regards to sacramental wine are spelled out in the GIRM, the CIC, and Redemptionis sacramentum. For example, the GIRM states (see also CIC c.924):
322. The wine for the celebration of the Eucharist must be from the fruit of the vine (cf. Lk 22: 18), natural, and unadulterated, that is, without admixture of extraneous substances.
Wine: From the Natural Fermentation of Grapes
By definition, wine is 8-14% alcohol; once you get to 14% alcohol and above it is considered ―fortified‖ wine and not suitable for sacramental use. Otherwise, no specific % alcohol content is required.
Wine for use in the Eucharist must be made from the fermentation of grapes (including raisins), not the fermentation of other fruits or of grains. The resultant wine may be red, rose, blush, or white; but it cannot be ―sparkling‖ (such as champagne).
The fermentation process must be natural; that is, from the action of yeast (wild or commercial) on the grapes themselves. The addition of sugar to speed up the process or increase the alcohol content is not allowed.1
The use of mustum is covered in Policies Relating to the Eucharist and Those with an Intolerance of Gluten and/or Alcohol (available on the diocesan website).
Unadulterated: Nothing Added
Canonist John Huels states:
Adding water to the wine in a quantity equal to or greater than that of the wine renders it invalid matter. Adding any other liquids2 to the wine renders it invalid if it can no longer be judged to be wine in the common estimation of persons. Likewise, the wine cannot be so sour that, in the common estimation of persons, it would be considered vinegar rather than wine (Huels, 198).
Wines are allowed to pick up extra flavors from being stored in wooden casks, barrels, or new wineskins. Those flavors come naturally as part of the aging process in making the wine.3
The ―sulfites‖ used to preserve the wine are not considered to make the wine illicit or invalid.
1 A small amount of grape sugar may be added if necessary for proper fermentation. Cane or beet sugar should not be added. The same is true of honey. Wine with such additions would be valid if the resulting product is truly wine, but illicit.
2 N.B. Therefore, such beverages as sangria, wine coolers, spritzer, wine cocktail, and the like are invalid matter.
3 But, if the winemaker wanted to give the wine a cherry highlight (for example) and added cherry wine, cherry flavor, or cherry extract to the wine, or cherry juice to the fermentation process, that would be unacceptable. Such a wine cannot be used as sacramental wine, since it would not be 100% grape wine. 1 §IV-246 Resource: Wines for Eucharist
Validity and Liceity
―Validity refers to legal efficacy. An invalid act…is not recognized in canon law as achieving its effects, whether these effects be juridic or spiritual‖ (Huels, 73). Validity depends on such issues as the identity of the minister and recipient, the ―form‖ (words) used, and the ―matter‖ (materials) used for the sacrament. These are the essentials of a sacrament, and if any are missing then the sacrament does not take place.
―Liceity‖ refers to whether or not the laws of the Church are being followed. ―An act that is valid but illicit is one whose effects have been realized although the agent failed to fulfill one or more requirements of the law or acted contrary to the law in one or more respects‖ (Huels, 73). The purposeful breaking of laws damages the unity—the communion—of the Church.
Therefore, it is incumbent on pastors to ensure that any wine used in the Diocese of Davenport is both valid and licit. Due to California labeling laws, if the norms of that state are followed in production the resulting wine can be considered valid and licit for sacramental use. The same laws do not apply in Iowa, so greater care must be taken to ensure that they meet canonical requirements. To that end, a list of approved wines is included in this document. This resource does not cover wines from other states or countries. If a community wishes to use such wines, the wine’s provenance and suitability for the liturgy will need to be established. Likewise, the Diocesan Liturgical Commission cannot endorse the practice of using ―homemade‖ wine for the liturgy. Issues of taste and appearance, not to mention health and safety, all come into play and may make the wine unsuitable for liturgical use even if the other requirements are met.
Abbreviations used:
CIC Code of Canon Law (Latin Church) GIRM General Instruction of the Roman Missal (third edition, 2002; retranslated 2011) Huels Liturgy and Law: Liturgical Law in the System of Roman Catholic Canon Law (John Huels, 2007)
2 §IV-246 Resource: Wines for Eucharist
§IV-246.1 Iowa Wines Approved for Liturgical Use
The wineries listed below have determined which of their wines meet the Canonical requirements. They are listed in alphabetical order. Please visit their web sites to find where to buy these wines in your area. This list is current as of July 2009, and was compiled by Jim Carroll of Iowa City.
BlueStem Winery: http://www.bluestemwine.com/ Dark Side Red Crescent Once in a Blue Moon
Eagle City Winery: http://www.eaglecitywinery.com/pages/index.html Red Altar
Grape Escape Vineyard and Winery: http://www.grapeescapeiowa.com/ Twilight Simply Blush
Jasper Winery: http://www.jasperwinery.com Norton Chancellor Behind the Shed Red Seyval Blanc
Madison County Winery: http://www.madisoncountywinery.com/ Midnight Rain
Prairie Moon Winery: http://prairiemoonwinery.com/ Bluestem Fume Seyval Blanc Halfmoon Red Marechal Foch
Rosey Acres Winery: http://roseyacreswinery.com/ Rising Sun Red Runnells Red
Whispering Pines Winery: http://www.whisperingpineswinery.biz/index.html Norton White Diamond
Wide River Winery: http://www.wideriverwinery.com/ Felony Red
3